Fountain-pen



N0.750,2v1. A PATBNTED 1,011.26, 1904.

A. EBBRSTBIN. r

FOUNTAIN PEN.

APPLIGATIoN FILED 531,114. 1002. RENEWED 0012.13, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 26, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

AUGST EBERSTEIN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES BRANDTAND CHARLES E. BRANDT, OF BOSTON,

MASSACHUSETTS.

FOUNTAIN-PEN.

SPECIFICATION formingA part of Letters Patent No. 750,271, dated January26, 1904.

Application filed September 4,1902. Renewed October 13,1903. Serial No.176 ,851. (No model.)

novel form of pen in which all the danger of gushing or flooding will beovercome.

As most fountain-pens are commonly constructed a feed-bar is inserted inthe nozzle of the pen and has formed therein a feeding groove or duct,through which the ink is Vfed from the reservoir in the barrel to thenibs of the pen as required during the use of the pen. It frequentlyhappens, however, that a slight jar or the expansion of the air in thebarrel due to the heat of the hand of the person using the pen or someother abnormal condition forces the ink to the nibs of the pen fasterthan it can be ed, witha result that the surplus ink drops oiii from thepen, thus forming blots, this being called flooding or gushing. Variousexpedients have been resorted to to overcome this difliculty, such asproviding overflow-pockets or surplus-reservoirs, into which the surplusink which is forced to the pen-nibs can flow and by which it is retainedto prevent its dropping off `from the pen. In some instances theseoverflow-pockets have been formed by providing the feedbar where itextends beneath the pen with a transverse piece which forms, with thepen and with the feed-bar, an overflow-pocket situated out of the directline of conduction from the reservoir in the barrel of the pen to thepen-nibs, but in indirect communication therewith, whereby any` surplusink which is conducted through the capillary channel of the feed-bar isforced into said overilow-pockets instead of oi from the end of the pen.

These pockets as heretofore constructed have been comparativelylarge-that is, of a size to hold three or four drops-and it has beenfound in practice that while the pockets serve to receive the surplusink as it is :forced through the capillary channel of the feed-bar `yetwhen such comparatively large pockets become filled with ink a jarringof the pen will often dislodge someof the ink to thereby cause blots. Toovercome this diiiiculty and to provide a pen which will prevent anyliooding or gushing under all circumstances, I have provided thefeed-bar of my pen with one or more capillary reservoirs, which aresituated out of the direct line of conduction from theV main reservoirin the barrel to the pen-nibs, but which are in indirect communicationtherewith. These capillary reservoirs may either be in the form of smallcapillary apertures, which are drilled through or formed in the feed-baror may be in the nature of recesses or slits. In either case it isessential that each reservoir shall have such a small cross-sectionalarea that any ink which finds its way into the capillary reservoir shallbe retained therein by capillary attraction. This is essential in orderto prevent the surplus ink from being dislodged from the reservoir by ajar or other cause. With my improved pen whenever from any cause the inkis conducted from the main reservoir to the pen-nibs faster than it canbe used the surplus ink iinds `its way into the capillaryT reservoir orreservoirs largely by capillary attraction, and owing to the smallcross-sectional size of the areas of the reservoirs such surplus ink isheld therein by capillary attraction. This capillary attraction issufficient so that when the capillary reservoir or reservoirs oncebecome filled all further iooding of the pen is effectively stopped.

AIn the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a portionof a pen having my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a section onthe line w a', Fig. `l. Fig. 3 is a top View of a portion of vafountain-pen lia-ving my improvement with a pen shown in dotted lines tobetter show the structure ofthe-feedbar. Fig. i shows a modified form ofmy invention; and Fig. 5 is a section on the line yg, Fig. 4.

My invention is applicable to any fountainpen, whether the barrel hasthe old-fashioned screw-threaded engagement with the nozzle or whetherthe nozzle has secured thereto an expansible reservoir for holding theink. For convenience I have shown the first type of pen in the drawingsaccompanying this application, and 3 designates the usual barrel, whichhas a common screw-threaded connection with the nozzle 4 of any suitableconstruction, which carries at one end a pen-5, as usual.

The feed-bar is designated by 6, and, as.n usual in fountain-pens, theend 7 thereofl is substantially cylindrical and fits snugly within thenozzle 4, the said feed-bar having the usual feed-groove 8, which may beof any suitable shape and which extends from the inner end of thefeed-bar nearly to the outer end 9 thereof in order to conduct the inkto the slit in the nibs of the pen. The parts thus far described are ormay be all as usual in fountain-pens.

One feature of my invention consists in providing the portion of thefeed-bar beneath the pen with one or more capillary reservoirs intowhich the surplus ink is forced and by which it is retained by capillaryattraction, and another feature consists in making the portion of thefeed-bar which is immediately under the pen of such ashape that it willhave a considerable extent of surface in substantial contact with theunder side of the pen.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the portion 9, or theouter end of the feedbar, is substantially semicylindrical incrosssection and has substantially all its semicylindrical surface incontact with the under side of the pen, the semicylindrical end 9 beingof sufficient size to have the capillary reservoirs, hereinafterdescribed, formed therein.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3 the capillaryreservoirs are in the form of small apertures l0,which are bored orotherwise formed in the feed-bar and which, as illustrated, extendthrough the feed-bar from the under side to the upperside thereof. Suchreservoirs are shown as being situated out of line with the feed-duct 8and as having no direct communication therewith. These reservoirs,however, have an indirect communication with the feed-groove 8 betweenthe pen and the dividing-wall 12, which separates theA feedgroove fromthe reservoir. Any number of such reservoirs or chambers may beemployed, and they may have any relative arrangement desired. In Figs. 1to 3 said reservoirs are shown as being situated on both sides of thefeed-duct, the reservoirs on one side being situated directly oppositethose on the other side. It is within the scope of myinvention to employthe reservoirs only on one side of the feedduct, if desired, and also toarrange the two series of reservoirs on opposite sides of the feed-ductin staggered relation to each other or in any other relative position.

' bar.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the reservoirs are given a slightly differentshape-that is, they are in the form of slits or notches cut into thesides of the feed-bar. I would state, however, that such slits ornotches should have only such a cross-sectional area that the ink willbe held therein by capillary attraction. rIhis is one of the importantfeatures of my invention-that is, making the capillary reservoirs ofsuch a size or having such cross-sectional area thatthe ink will ber'ctained therein by capillary attraction.

Another important point in my invention is the comparatively large areaof the feedbar and pen which are in substantial contact.

-While the pen is in contact with the semicylindrical surface of thefeed-bar, yet such contact is not such as to prevent the ink filling theslight space between the pen and feed-bar and being held therein bycapillary attraction. While this space is comparatively small, yet itdoes, nevertheless, form a capillary reservoir having quite a largearea, and the film of ink which fills the said space is held between thepen and feed-bar with suflcient capillary attraction that any ordinarypressure which may exist in the barrel of the pen or any ordinaryjarring will not force the ink around the feed- This construction offeed-bar also prevents the air from entering the fountain-pen as rapidlyas if the feed-bar were only wide enough at this point to have thefeedinggroove formed therein, and as a consequence any tendency to gushor flood is prevented by the formation of a partial vacuum in thebarrel. This comparatively large area of capillary surface, however,prevents the pen from getting dry and maintains the wet line even thoughthe pen is seldom used.

In the use of my improved pen the ink will ordinarily be conducted tothe pen-nibs as usual in this class of devices; but when for any reasonthe pen tends to flood the surplus ink will be forced from thefeeding-groove into the capillary reservoir or reservoirs, where it willbe retained by capillary attraction.

Since each one of the reservoirs contains only a small quantity of inkand since such ink is held in the reservoir by capillary at-y traction,it is impossible to dislodge it by a jar or any other means except by aproper use of the pen, as would be the case if the reservoirs were of asize to hold three or four drops. Such fiooding or gush is also pre-Vented, as above stated, by the comparatively large area on thesurfaceof the feed-bar either side of the feed-groove, which is in substantialcontact with the pen and which prevents too rapid admission of air tothe feed-groove.

NVhile I have herein shown some ways in which my invention may beembodied, yet I do not wish to Vbe limited to the precise constructionshown, as the capillary reservoirs may be given various other shapes andposilOO ISO

tions than that herein illustrated without in any way departing from thespirit yof my invention. It will also be obvious that some features ofmy invention are applicable to other pens than fountain-pens.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In a fountain-pen, a feed-bar having the usual feed-groove andprovided with one or more capillary. reservoirs situated out of the lineof conduction from the main reservoir to the pen-nibs, but in indirectcommunication therewith.

2. In a fountain-pen, a main reservoir, and a pen, combined with afeed-bar having in addition to the ordinary feeding-groove, one or morecapillary apertures which are independent from said feeding-groove.

3. In a fountain-pen, a main reservoir, and

a pen, combined with a feed-bar having in addition to the usualfeed-groove for conducting the ink from the main reservoir to the pen, aplurality of capillary reservoirs situated on each side of thefeed-groove and in indirect 25 communication therewith.

4E. In a fountain-pen, a main reservoir, and

a pen, combined with a feed-bar having in addition to the usualfeedmg-groove one or more capillary apertures which are independent 30from said feeding-groove, the said feed-bar being shaped to eontaetwithsubstantially the entire outside of the pen.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two sub- 35

